Australia: Chloe Hansen (Daily Life in Townsville)

It’s a sunny, warm Friday in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. I open the curtain of my room window at George Roberts Hall, and see wallabies grazing in the courtyard. Beyond the dorm is Mount Stuart, which makes a beautiful backdrop to the James Cook University campus. As a Wisconsin local, it’s exciting having some elevation around.

My first class of the day is Coral Reef Ecology, and then Indigenous People of North Queensland — which I recommend to all study abroad students because it’s an important way to get to know the culture of the oldest stewards on this land. When classes are done, I walk the path back to my dorm past sports fields where wallabies and tropical birds forage on the grass. This is an important part of my routine, and the friendly colorful animals make me feel especially welcome here.

Every night my friends and I eat dinner together in the dining hall. Meeting new friends at JCU has come easy and defined my study abroad experience. We see each other every day for meals, go on adventures, and spend nights in the dorm’s courtyard under the rotunda. Together we go to the Strand, a beach in the downtown, for swimming, restaurants, and intertidal wildlife, or hike the JCU walking track by the dorm.

They have been a great way to learn about Australian culture and attitudes, as well as international ones — we often share stories comparing our distinct homes. My Australian friends have helped me learn the slang, discover new places to travel, and also imparted on me new philosophies about living life down under. And interestingly, learning about them has helped me learn a little more about myself too — like how my culture lives in me, what defines my home, and clearer image of where my future may unfold.

Chloe Hansen

Hometown: Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Major: Conservation Biology, Life Sciences Communication

Program: James Cook University

I chose this program because of the access it provides to nature, both in the ocean and on land. I know this will attract people that share my interests, and I am most excited to find that community.

During my program, my goals are to explore Australia’s natural resources and go diving on the Great Barrier Reef. I am also interested in gaining professional experience in marine research, and creating friendships with Australian and international people, who will teach me so many lessons about community and the ways we interact with nature.

CRICOS Provider: 00117J